Nick Bosa, pass catchers highlight 49ers’ 2019 NFL Draft class

The San Francisco 49ers have wrapped up their 2019 NFL Draft, which aside from first-round EDGE Nick Bosa, is largely highlighted by offensive pass catchers.

For those wondering whether or not the San Francisco 49ers would upgrade their wide receiver corps in the 2019 NFL Draft, you have the answer.

The Niners picked up two wideouts on day two of the draft: South Carolina’s Deebo Samuel in Round 2, backed up by the 6-foot-5 Jalen Hurd from Baylor in Round 3. These two additions should help overcome what was a receiving corps which failed to produce a single 500-yard wideout in 2018.

Pass catchers highlighted the 2019 draft efforts from general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan, although the 49ers’ top get, Ohio State EDGE Nick Bosa, will be the vanguard of the class.

Here’s the breakdown of San Francisco’s eight total picks this year:

Three receiving weapons for San Francisco, plus Bosa, will be the mark of the 49ers’ draft class this year.

Samuel had the bonus of working under Shanahan’s South squad at the 2019 Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama and had a phenomenal week of practice. That certainly influenced the Niners’ decision to make him their Round 2 pick.

Hurd, however, is a bit more interesting. A converted running back from the University of Tennessee, Hurd had to sit out nearly an entire season after transferring to Baylor to become a pass catcher.

“Yeah, definitely,” Shanahan said when asked if Hurd could be used as an H-back player. “I see him, he’s got that type of body. I think he can do a little bit more things.”

Smith, meanwhile, could push No. 2 tight end Garrett Celek for a roster spot as soon as training camp, especially considering the soon-to-be 31-year-old Celek had only five receptions in 2018, yet was penalized six times.

Still, San Francisco’s biggest prize is Bosa. Arguably the draft’s top prospect, he managed to find his way to the 49ers after the top-drafting Arizona Cardinals took Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray with the No. 1 overall pick.

“I think it’s pretty awesome that I’m joining a team that’s already assembled a pretty darn good squad,” Bosa told reporters after being drafted. “Just playing here, seeing the Super Bowl trophies around, it’s definitely pretty cool.”

An Interesting Choice for Selecting a Punter

In 2015, then-general manager Trent Baalke used a fifth-round pick to take Clemson punter Bradley Pinion.

Reaction wasn’t particularly good, especially considering the turmoil the 49ers went through in the months preceding that year’s NFL Draft. Pinion was the 2015 NFL Draft’s first specialist taken, and he stayed with the Niners until finally departing via free agency in 2019.

Influenced by that, Lynch grabbed former Utah punter Mitch Wishnowsky, not in Round 5, but in the fourth round.

Lynch later admitted he had his reasons, though:

"We felt like with all due respect to the other punters, [New England Patriots P] Jake Bailey is a kid right up the road who went to New England, who we thought highly of, but we thought Mitch Wishnowsky was a big-time prospect. I think [head coach] Kyle and I studied punters more this year than I think we ever will, and hopefully he’s the long-term answer. We’re talking like a 10-year guy. He checks all the boxes in terms of what you want from a punter. He has a huge leg. Inside the plus 50, he’s very adept at pinning people back."

Shanahan also felt as if the Patriots were going to make a move for Wishnowsky, too, instead trading up for Bailey in Round 5.

A reach? Perhaps. But it sounds like Wishnowsky was clearly the “Niners’ guy,” and they could care less about a reach.

Particularly with New England looming.

The 49ers added only three defenders, supplementing the Bosa pick with Arkansas linebacker Dre Greenlaw and Virginia cornerback Tim Harris. Vanderbilt offensive tackle Justin Skule is set to compete for San Francisco’s primary swing-tackle role this training camp.

As far as further prognosis and breakdowns, be sure to stay tuned to Niner Noise for even more analysis and projections in coming days!